In the heart of the Caribbean, it all starts with the Cuban capital, with its classics, its ceremonial places, its old Soviet and American cars and its revolutionary slogans.
However, beyond the clichés, Havana remains unknown to our compatriots.
Far from the beaten path of the Revolution, the city of two million inhabitants conceals unexpected treasures.
To discover
Partner stay in Cuba |
12 days |
cigar, rum and tradition
The proof by three.
A district of Afro-Cuban religions, Regla, a museum dedicated to Napoleon, a district of colonial palaces, Miramar.
And what about the waterfront, the Malecon, cigars and Mojitos.
Devotion to the
Lider Maximo
and Castroism, they are withering.
Havana is diverse and huge, seven times the area of inner Paris.
The soul of the Caribbean capital reflects this diversity.
Elusive, but you will gradually understand it during your long walks, punctuated by the sounds of salsa.
Let's be honest, Havana in two days is too little!
Read alsoWhere to go in Cuba?
Our travel guide, from Havana to Cienfuegos
Arrival in Havana
Two solutions are available to you: negotiate the price of a taxi from the airport to the city center (count around 30 euros) or pre-book a taxi before your departure.
An organization based in Paris, Novela Cuba, offers the second solution and facilitates your arrival.
You can opt for a VIP pass to wait for your luggage in a lounge on arrival and limit immigration forms.
Please note that an immigration form must be completed before your arrival.
What to do in 2023 in Havana
TO DO
It is always difficult to access a cultural agenda in Cuba.
Read the daily newspaper Juventud Rebelde at the end of the week to unearth the cultural announcements of the moment.
Museum of Fine Arts
Havana is a cultural paradox.
The part given to culture is very important there, but art has put itself at the service of the Revolution, with small paintings by Che Guevara or old multicolored American cars.
To escape this uniformity, go to the Museum of Fine Arts for a journey into the history of Cuban painting, but also in the cultural evolution of the island.
From the long Spanish colonial period to the turn of the 19th century with the influence of French masters, such as Jean-Baptiste Vermay.
Always very inspired by Europe and the avant-garde at the beginning of the 20th century, a distinctly Cuban style emerged between the 1930s and the Revolution of 1958. The great contemporary Cuban masters are called René Portocarrero or Wilfredo Lam and his artistic Afro- Cuban.
The Museo de Bellas Artes is a very educational museum, without being boring.
National Museum of Bellas Artes.
Trocadero and Zulueta and Monserrate.
Habana Vieja.
Such.
(+53) 7 861 5777.
AT TABLE
The Plaza de Armas, and its colonial architecture;
Surfing the Planet
How about a meal on the terrace on the mythical Plaza de Armas to taste one of the best lobster in Havana or fish?
The service, however, lacks warmth.
The Mina.
Calle Obispo # 109 esq.
at Oficios.
La Habana Vieja.Tel.
: (+53) 7 862 0216.
THE HOTEL IN VIEW
The imposing Hotel Nacional which alone tells a large part of the contemporary history of Cuba.
TOimages
The Cuban government has been building for a decade, with the help of Bouygues, many luxury hotels in Old Havana, Vedado and Miramar.
The Hotel Nacional remains our favorite.
It was for a long time the only palace in the capital.
If it does not display the luxury of the handful of large hotels built in recent years (Gran Hotel Manzana, Parque Central in particular), the Nacional remains the most bewitching with its architecture from the 1920s and its history.
The beachfront hotel has hosted the greatest, but also the least recommendable, such as Al Capone or Meyer Lansky.
Heads of state, mafia, actors, politicians, you will find them all exhibited in a large living room.
In addition to its excellent restaurant and its cabaret Le Parisien, the fabulous gardens of the hotel where there is a bar will offer you one of the most beautiful views of the capital.
Calle 21 y O, El Vedado.
Such.
: (+53) 7 836 3564 and 836 3567.
Read alsoWhat to do in Havana?
Our ten essentials
Day 1: from Habana Vieja to Centro Habana
Morning
The “capitolio”, the Cuban parliament.
stock.adobe
Take a cobblestone-level trip from the Capitolio, Cuba's parliament and replica of the US Capitol, to shatter the necks of misconceptions about the island.
Head to the nearby
Parque Central
and the Havana Opera House, a visit to which is a must.
Barack Obama cella there in 2016 an ephemeral rapprochement between the United States and Cuba.
It is from this district of Habana Vieja that you will discover the capital.
From Parque Central, head to
Calle (street) Obispo
, the main pedestrian thoroughfare.
On the menu, a local craft market, the currency museum, but also that of the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution.
Before heading to the
Plaza de Armas
and its booksellers, stop at the Ambos Mundos hotel to explore Ernest Hemingway's room and its artifacts.
Then lose yourself in the small perpendicular streets and in particular Mercaderes street, its shops and museums, to reach the
Plaza Vieja
, a huge bright square, with its colonial arches, its photo library, its dark room (Camara Oscura), where you will have a 360 degree view of the city.
The Museum of the Revolution.
Rudi Ernst
Finally, don't miss the
Museum of the Revolution
, the former presidential palace of Fulgencio Batista, its huge park and its tanks and planes from another era.
Lunch break
La Cerveceria is the meeting place for Cubans at lunchtime.
It's a micro-brewery, where he serves simple meals with a splendid view of the Bay of Havana.
La Cerveceria is a stone's throw from a huge warehouse, where painters and artisans exhibit.
Afternoon
300 meters from the Cerveceria, you cannot miss the
Regla terminal
from which two small boats (Lanchas) leave for the districts of Casablanca and Regla.
Choose the one from Regla.
In less than 10 minutes and for two Cuban pesos (less than one euro cent), you will have an excellent view of Havana and its Bay.
Barely landed, here is the Nuestra Señora de Regla church and its black Madonna, object of pilgrimages.
Havana's Chinatown.
TVRDY.comPavel
Catholics, Cubans are also steeped in Afro-Cuban religions.
Regla is the place with its museum dedicated to these religions, not far from the church.
Havana is not only Caribbean, it is African, European, American and even a little Asian!
From Regla, take a taxi to the astonishing
Barrio Chino
, a vast district, where only a handful of Chinese who arrived before the Revolution live.
The citizens of the Middle Kingdom, enticed in the 19th century by contracts in the Spanish plantations (which will turn out to be slavery) will bring the taste of rice.
In Barrio Chino, you are already in the
Centro Habana
neighborhood .
Simply lose yourself in its narrow streets, devour the mutilated Spanish palaces with your eyes and visit the Romeo y Julieta cigar factory.
Attention, in Cuba, cigars are Tabacos and cigarettes are Cigaros!
The decrepit buildings of Centro Habana.
Ingo Bartussek Ingo Bartussek
Aperitif and dinner
An aperitif and a late afternoon on the roof of the Gran Hotel Manzana.
Sip a Mojito by the most beautiful swimming pool in the capital.
You will have one of the prettiest views of the metropolis.
Then go to the Los Nardos restaurant, opposite the Capitolio.
It is an excellent table, in an enchanting setting, to discover Cuban gastronomy.
Evening
The unfathomable charm of the Malecon is particularly appreciated in the evening.
Daniel Avram
A tour of the waterfront, the Malecon, is a must.
Cubans, young and old, meet there at nightfall.
From Thursday to Sunday, trendy and artistic youth meet at the Fabrica de Arte Cubano where exhibitions, restaurants and music mingle.
On other days, go to the Casa de la Musica on Calle Galiano.
Read alsoWhen to go to Cuba?
Weather, climate, visits… The best period by region
Day 2: from Vedado to Miramar
Morning
The astonishing Focsa building (in the background), in the Vedado district.
Bodo Tuengler Berlin
Rent an old convertible American car for around thirty euros to the fortress of San Carlos de la Cabana.
It is not only an excellent observation point over the capital, but also a place steeped in history that the Spaniards chose to defend themselves against invaders.
Shortly after the Revolution, Che Guevara set up his headquarters there, which can still be visited.
Get back in your convertible and head for
Vedado
, the neighborhood of artists and the Cuban bourgeoisie.
From the
Malecon
, go up the Rampa, to the Coppelia, the great glacier of the metropolis, located opposite the no less mythical Habana Libre hotel where Fidel Castro lived in 1959. The Vedado houses the Nacional hotel, a visit to which is essential.
From the hotel you will see in the distance the American embassy and the “anti-imperialist” platform facing it.
In addition to its great music clubs, the University of Havana, not to be missed, as well as the astonishing Napoleon Museum nearby, the Vedado is a tangle of palaces, each more fabulous than the next, especially on Calle 17 At the end of your journey, travel to Miramar-Playa in one of the Soviet limousine taxis located near the Capri Hotel.
These were offered to Fidel Castro by the leaders of the former USSR.
Lunch break
Casa Espanola is a residence in the style of a small fortified castle.
It is also the ideal place to eat a paella in the shade of the palm trees.
If the restaurant, popular with diplomats, is full, go to another good restaurant, El Ajibe, nearby.
Afternoon
Typical architecture of the Miramar district.
ANTON IVANOV
Miramar-Playa
is the district of the Karl Marx theater and above all of the sumptuous European or African embassies.
Diplomats live there in palaces, each more luxurious than the next.
It deserves a long walk.
The Soviets, Los Bolos (Bolsheviks), as they say in Cuba, were stationed on the island for three decades, hence the imposing Russian mission, which, by its strange architectural style, mushroom or reinforced concrete syringe, c is according to, alone deserves a detour.
Then stop at the Memorial de la Denuncia, dedicated to espionage, but above all keep two to three hours of your time to go to the neighborhood of
San Francisco de Paula
and lose yourself in the splendid estate of Ernest Hemingway, the Finca Vigia, its books, its artefacts, without forgetting the dozens of cats of which the writer was an adorer.
Aperitif and dinner
Return to Old Havana for an aperitif at Sloppy Joe, a popular bar during the time of prohibition in the United States.
Then walk to Parque Central, Boulevard and San Rafael Street to dine at San Cristobal, a pretty Paladar (private restaurant) that the Obama family chose in March 2016.
Evening
To end your evening in style, don't miss the Tropicana dancers' show.
This cabaret, which can also be found in other cities, has been a Havana institution since 1939. Joséphine Baker and the biggest stars have performed there.
Where to sleep in Havana?
President Hotel
The Malecon is at your feet.
The Presidente is one of the most delicious establishments in Havana.
Inaugurated in 1928 with a golden key, one of the oldest hotels in the capital retains all of its neoclassical charm.
From 200 euros.
Calzada # 110 y G. El Vedado.
Such.
: (+53) 7 855 1801.
Hotel Paseo Habana
The Paseo Habana is a three-star hotel in the heart of Vedado, but sheltered from its tumult.
The rooms are spacious and the prices very reasonable despite the proximity to the Rampa and the major nightlife centres.
From 50 euros.
Calle 17 esq.
A. El Vedado.
Such.
: (+53) 7 836 0810.
Our address book in Havana
Good tables
San Cristobal
San Rafael #469 e/ Lealtald y Campanario.
Centro Habana.Tel.
: (+53) 7 860 9109.
El-Ajibe
Ave.
7ma esq a 24. Miramar.
Such.
: (+53) 7 204 1583.
Figaro
Calle Aguiar # 18 y ave.
of the Missions.
Habana Vieja. Tel: (+53) 7 861 0544.
Los Nardos (Facing the Capitolio).
Paseo de Marti.
Habana Vieja.
Tel: (+53) 7 863 2985.
Casa Espanola.
7th ave, Esq.
26. Miramar.
Such.
: (+53) 7 206 9887.
Go out to drink an old rum or a Tukola, the socialist coca-cola.
Tropicana
Calle 72, between ave.
41 and 45. Marianao.
Such.
: (+53) 7 267 1717.
Sloppy Joe
Animals esq.
in Zulueta.
Habana Vieja.Tel.
: (+53) 7 866 7157.
Cerveceria (Antiguo Almacen de la Madera y El Tabaco).
Ave.
Del Puerto and San Ignacio.
Habana Vieja.
No tel.
Fabrica de Arte Cubano
Calle 26 esq.
13. El Vedado.
Such.
: (+53) 7 838 2256.
Casa de la Musica in Galiano
Galiano and/ Neptuno and Concordia.
Centro Havana.
Such.
: (+53) 7 862 4165.
Gran Hotel Manzana
Central Park.
Habana Vieja.
Such.
: (+53) 7 869 9100.